IE doesn't recognize my Adobe Flash

Because I'm trying out a piece of software that only works with IE, I've been trying to play a flash video in IE 9. However, IE claimed that I needed to upgrade my version of Adobe Flash. I did so, upgrading to version 11.1.102.55. I then tried again to play the video, and again IE claimed I needed to upgrade. I then decided to try a different video. I went to YouTube, selected a video, and tried again. Same story. I again downloaded the install file and ran it, but after I did so IE again claimed I needed to upgrade my version of Flash. I closed IE, reopened it, and tried again. Same story. I rebooted, thinking that might help. It didn't. Belarc Advisor assures me that I have Flash version 11.1.102.55 installed on my Windows 7 Professional 64-bit computer. Since I rarely use IE (Firefox is my default browser), I'm not sure what the problem is or what to do. I should add that I did try to play the video on Firefox, and it had no problem whatsoever.

I'd welcome advice about how to get IE to play flash on my computer. Thanks in advance.

Thanks very much, Joe, but I'm surprised that I need to do this. When I went to download the version of Flash that I did, Adobe recognized that I had Win 7 64-bit and said "NOTE: The 64-bit Flash Player installer includes both a 32-bit and a 64-bit version of Flash." So then why wouldn't the right version have been installed? And if a wrong version had been installed, why did Firefox have no trouble playing the Flash videos?

BTW, the page you referred me to offered the same version number as the version I have already downloaded: 11.1.102.55, not 155. Should I not believe Adobe that the installer I downloaded included both the 32-bit and the 64-bit version?

Oops, sorry about the version typo on my part. The 64-bit installer most likely did try to install the correct versions. Sometimes a Flash installation get corrupted and the only the only way to get it resolved is to use the Adobe uninstaller.

Well, I've now tried about half a dozen times to do what Joe said. I have not succeeded in getting a version of Adobe Flash that can be used by Internet Explorer. I went to the site that Joe recommended as the place to download the 64-bit Flash player, carefully followed the directions for uninstalling whatever I had, rebooted, made sure that no browser was running, installed the 64-bit version for IE (that uses Active X), rebooted, went to the page that was supposed to tell me what version of Flash I had installed (http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/ ), only to find that it didn't think I had any version installed. I tried again. Same story, but this time there was something on the page I just mentioned that supposedly gave me the opportunity to download the right version. Since I was in IE, I figured that perhaps I should click on that. I did, installed Adobe Flash, and found that again it was not recognized. I then tried to go to the same page in Firefox, but there, too, I was told I had no Flash. So I went back to the page Joe gave me and this time chose a 64-bit version that is supposedly needed by Firefox, Opera, and Safari. I downloaded that, went through all the steps. Bingo, at least the Adobe page now recognized that I had the right version of Flash installed, but it was the right version for Firefox, not, apparently, for IE. I then tried to ALSO install the version for IE. According to Revo Uninstaller, I now have both versions installed on my computer. If I go to YouTube in Firefox, I have no problem watching videos. But if I go to YouTube in Internet Explorer, I'm again told that I have to upgrade my Adobe Flash. I'm totally stymied.

Sorry, Joe, I posted my message without seeing that you had responded. I am really very grateful to you for the help you've given me thus far, and I'm hoping that you can suggest something that will make Flash work in IE.

Thanks very much, Joe, for your help and your patience. I'm happy to report that I think the mystery has been solved. I tried rebooting rather than just exiting all browsers, but that still didn't produce the results I needed. I then started poking around in the IE settings, something I never do because I so rarely use that browser. But sure enough, I found a Manage add-ons tab and discovered that Shockwave Flash Object with today's date had been DISABLED! I certainly didn't do that, but.... Anyway, I quickly enabled it, and that was all it took to get IE to work with Flash. But the version that works for IE doesn't work for my other browsers (Firefox and Opera). So I again tried to install the version of Flash that was supposed to work in 64-bit non-IE browsers. Bingo, that too worked, and it did so without disabling Flash in IE. So I think I've now got Flash working in all my browsers. Until the next time. :-)

In Windows 7, IE11 is not installed as a feature or program, but as an update, and that’s why its name is absent in the list of installed programs.

To remove IE11 and roll back to the previous IE version, i.e. IE10, perform the following steps:
◾Click Start
◾Click Control Panel
◾Click Program and Features
◾Click View installed updates listed on to identify the update that resulted in installation of IE11
◾Right-click this update and select Uninstall
◾Restart your Windows computer after uninstallation is complete

I have been trying to solve the non-working Flash Player 11 update problem for a couple weeks also, and read all of Joe's instructions above, which changed how IE behaved but the videos still wouldn't run, then I found the thing about player being disabled in tools. BINGO. Enabled it and now it works....... for how long, i don't know. Pessimist that I am.

I was going to post a question about IE prompting to update Flash Player, then I saw cyberdiva's post. I could hardly believe it, that was my question. So I'll go through the uninstall routine, and the re-install, but this raises another question. WHY???? Why should there be some special hoops to jump through to get Flash Player out of a machine. Does Adobe not know about Control Panel > Uninstall? Why do we have to suffer Adobe cr*pware? Any other company that published software that had to be updated for security on an almost weekly basis would be out of business. "An important security update is available" is just another way of saying an Adobe program has screwed up again. It goes on, and on, and on. When will someone, someone a great deal brighter than me, come up with a substitute for ALL Adobe software. There's got to be a better way.

I was going to post a question about IE prompting to update Flash Player, then I saw cyberdiva's post. I could hardly believe it, that was my question. So I'll go through the uninstall routine, and the re-install, but this raises another question. WHY???? Why should there be some special hoops to jump through to get Flash Player out of a machine. Does Adobe not know about Control Panel > Uninstall? Why do we have to suffer Adobe cr*pware? Any other company that published software that had to be updated for security on an almost weekly basis would be out of business. "An important security update is available" is just another way of saying an Adobe program has screwed up again. It goes on, and on, and on. When will someone, someone a great deal brighter than me, come up with a substitute for ALL Adobe software. There's got to be a better way.

David

I had to laugh when I read the bit in your post about "Any other company...."

MS have to do this on a regular basis and I can't see them going out of business

You could ask why software needs Silverlight or Java as well, but as long as you have vehicles that have access to systems you are going to have Bandits trying to hijack them and it's an on going battle, which is why they and AV/Malware scanner programmers have to constantly update their Definitions/Software to combat actual and possible exploits.

I had to laugh when I read the bit in your post about "Any other company...."

MS have to do this on a regular basis and I can't see them going out of business

Well yes, I'd have to agree, but I wouldn't hold MS up as an exemplary company, Rapacious? Yes. Predatory? Yes. Monopolistic? For sure! But the problem with computers and software in general is that we are stuck in the Model T era. Time was when owners were expected to get under the hood, get their hands dirty, fix flat tyres on a weekly basis. The handbook with my first car had a section, "Notes before starting." These were among the daily checks. Check the tyre pressures. Check the coolant level in the radiator. Check the acid level in the battery. Okay, that dates me, but would you drive a car that had to be tweaked at least monthly? Often weekly? I don't think so.

It's 30 years since computers hit the mainstream, and still software writers can't, or won't, write code that completely removes their programs. It should be as easy as turning the ignition key. I tried to follow the instructions for uninstalling Flash. Step 1: No problem. Step 2: No problem. But Step 3? I quote:-

3. Delete Flash Player files and folders.
a. Choose Start > Run.
b. Copy and paste the following and click OK. C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash
c. Delete all the files in this folder.

Did that.

d. Follow step 1 to step 3 for the following:
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash
%appdata%\Adobe\Flash Player
%appdata%\Macromedia\Flash Player

%appdata% ????? What does this mean to the average John or Jane Doe who's just bought himself/herself a computer? About as much sense as saying, "Before starting this car reset timing to 13BTDC." But that's not the end of it...

Note:
Beginning with Flash Player 11.5, uninstalling the Flash Player resets the AutoUpdateDisable and SilentAutoUpdateEnable settings in mms.cfg to their default values, which are:
•AutoUpdateDisable=0
•SilentAutoUpdateEnable=0

Well yes, of course, that clears up that point doesn't it?

You say that security is an on-going battle, true, everyone knows that. Car thieves are out on the streets every day, but you don't have to change the locks weekly, nor update the code on your remote. Generally speaking your car will be where you left it when you return. But Adobe's name features all too often in the To Do list of fixes. I haven't kept count so I may be quite wrong, but I very much doubt that there is any other software (other than AV definitions) that has to be updated so frequently.

And finally, to get back to the original post. I went through the uninstall, deleted assorted files, re-booted, re-installed, re-booted, and I still can't play video clips. There is one difference though, the BBC Website used to have a warning, "You need to update Flash Player", it doesn't have that warning now, they just don't play.